Sequoia was founded by Jake Myrick, Noriko Kamei, and Warren Pfahl. The story can be traced back to when Jake and Noriko were living in Japan from 2001-2010, which is when they developed a love of sake. When they returned to their home in San Francisco, they found they could not get their favorite style of sake, Nama Genshu. So, they started making sake in the garage.

Not satisfied with their knowledge, they reached out to some friends back in Japan and started their training at a bunch of small mom and pop sake breweries. By 2014, they felt they were ready and they started to build their sake brewery in San Francisco. In 2015 they produced their first batch and began to sell locally produced sake to California.

The 1st Artisan Brewery in San Francisco

Sequoia Sake was born from a desire to make a more local sake. They are proud to use all locally sourced California ingredients: Water (from the glacier-carved Yosemite watershed), Rice (organically grown in the Sacramento Valley), heirloom Koji, and native sake Yeast.

In 2013, before staring Sequoia Sake, Jake began his quest for sake rice cultivation in California. Over the years that followed Jake worked with UC Davis, local organic rice farmers, the USDA, California rice regulators, Japanese rice research groups, and professional rice organizations. In 2019, Sequoia was granted the right to start commercial cultivation of short-grain sake rice here in California. They planted their first crop in 2020 and now use it in their sake production.

Jake Myrick and Noriko Kamei

Serendipity currently carries the Junmai-genshu, Junmai-ginjo, and Junmai-nigori. 

Image credits, content sourced from Sake International

Serendipity is excited to represent these local, artisanally-crafted sakes in California. Want to try them yourself? Check out the full lineup, then fill out the contact form below!